Dynamsoft Barcode Reader SDK v6.0 preview – revamped!

Good News! We are expecting a major release of Dynamsoft Barcode Reader, version 6.0. In a couple of weeks, our users will be able to try the revamped algorithm and APIs. Here are some highlights for preview:

Added a way to create custom barcode reading templates

Global parameter: This is on the project level. You can specify max thread counts in the json file.

Image parameter: One project can have one or multiple templates, i.e., image parameter. Although most projects only have one template, in some specific situations, you may need to process a batch of images of different types. You create one template for each image type.

Region definition: If your barcode always appears in a certain position on the image, you can speed up the recognition by specifying the region.

Format parameter: The template allows different settings for each barcode symbology.

Take the below image for example. There is one barcode at the top left corner and one at the bottom left corner. If we have a batch of forms with a similar layout, we can create a template with two regions, specifying the two corners.

Improved performance and accuracy

Improved the reading accuracy and speed for blurred QRCode and DataMatrix.

Improved the speed for reading barcodes directly from a computer/phone screen.

Improved reading speed for small barcodes in high-resolution

For blurry images which are caused by low resolution or unsteady hands, the new version performs better due to the new algorithm.

Pre-process the image

– Text filter

If a barcode is on a document, the program will apply the text filter technology to remove texts from the image. This will greatly speed up localization at a later stage.

– Region pre-detection

For both documents and photos, you can enable region pre-detection to localize the barcode block(s). At the later localization stage, the program will focus on the pre-defined blocks instead of the whole image.

– Grey Equalization for Low Contrast Images

Sometimes the black pixels on an image might be grey-ish and have low contrast with the white background.

The new version introduced a property Grey Equalization Sensitivity to set the grey threshold. It will greatly help with the binarization of the image. Binarization is the process of converting a pixel image to a black and white image.

Returning More Info in the Result

On top of the standard text, which is the encoded text in a barcode, the program is now returning more details in the result:

Candidate text. When the image quality is not ideal, the program may need to make multiple guesses as to what the barcode encodes. The guess with the highest confidence level is returned as the standard text, and other guesses can be returned as candidates.

The program can now return barcodes which are localized but not decoded. This might be caused by a mistake detection. Or, it IS a barcode but too blurry to decode.